Rookie midfielder Dan Robinson says the Sydney Swans reserves are primed for this weekend’s top- of-the-table clash against the NT Thunder on Saturday.

The match, which will be played at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney’s inner-west, will be the first time the Thunder has travelled to Sydney to face the Swans and will decide who will hold the top spot on the NEAFL ladder at the end of the round.

Robinson, who has been one of the Swans reserves most consistent performers over the past two seasons, said the boys were excited for what is expected to be one of their toughest contests to date.

“It’s the top-of-the-table clash so it’s always exciting when you come up against good competition,” Robinson told SwansTV.

“We’re expecting a really hard contest and we’re going to need to run really hard forward and win a lot of ball.

“They are really silky players, so we’re expecting a talented team that are going to put us under pressure.

“When you do get a really good contest, it really fires the team up to play their best footy and to play Swans footy and to bring our trademark game.

“I think a lot of the boys are pumped.”

Robinson, who earned NEAFL Team of the Year selection in 2013, has improved again this season, with the second-year Swan averaging 33 possessions per match this year.

While openings in the Swans senior midfield are few and far between, with the likes of Tom Mitchell and Ryan O’Keefe also pushing for spots, Robinson said he hoped his efforts this season were edging him closer to a senior look in.

“I hope I’m not too far away from being ready,” he said.

“Obviously we’ve got a very deep midfield at the moment with a lot of talented players who are playing well.

“It’s just about biding my time and playing consistent footy and consistently putting my hand up.

“I’m happy with my consistency and the coaches are happy, which is good.

“I’ve just got to learn to play different roles and develop my game so when the opportunity does come up I can take it with two hands.”

The 19-year-old said he took plenty of confidence from the recent rise of fellow rookie Jake Lloyd, who has played six senior games since making his debut against Fremantle in round five.

“It 100 per cent (gives me confidence),” Robinson said.

“Jake deserved it the whole time and he was playing consistent footy last year and brought it into this year.

“It really gives a lot of the reserves players, not just myself, motivation to get those spots in the seniors.”

Robinson said the Swans reserves would enter this Saturday’s match with confidence, with the likes of O’Keefe, Mitchell, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Gary Rohan bolstering the team’s chances against the Thunder.

“Especially with Ryan coming back, he’s a Norm Smith medallist and has played over 250 games, so he’s been a massive help to all the young boys, not just the midfield,” he said.

“He’s been a mentor to us and has been teaching us ways to play senior footy.

“With Tommy (Mitchell) and Gary (Rohan) coming back, it adds that class to the reserves team that we were probably lacking last year with all our injuries.”

With the biggest SCG crowd in nearly ten years turning out on Thursday night, Robinson said he hoped those Swans fans would also turn out in their droves for Saturday afternoon’s match.

“It would be brilliant (if a crowd came along),” he said.

“The Swans fans are great, so hopefully we can draw them out to Drummoyne, which is a bit closer than Blacktown.

“A great atmosphere would be brilliant to get the boys up in the top-of-the-table clash.”